Claim OwnershipNot Really Strangers
Subscribed: 0Played: 0
Subscribe
© 2025 Not Really Strangers
Description
Discover just how connected the refugee experience is to our everyday lives, and to the social issues that matter to us most. Join host Suzanne Ehlers, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, as she and her eclectic guests share personal stories and frontline insights. We’re more connected than we may think.
9 Episodes
Reverse
Today Nabin Dhimal joins Suzanne for the final episode of season one of Not Really Strangers Suzanne originally met Nabin in Geneva at the Global Refugee Forum, where he helped her feel at home and confident in her then-new position as the executive director and CEO of USA for UNHCR. Nabin was born in a refugee camp in Nepal after his family was displaced from Bhutan, and he later resettled in Portland, Oregon. Today, he’s a master’s student at Georgetown University, an advocate for refugees,...
In the latest episode of Not Really Strangers, Suzanne sits down with Malika Saada Saar, a human rights lawyer and tech policy strategist whose career spans grassroots advocacy to leadership roles at Google and YouTube. Malika shares how she fought to end the shackling of incarcerated women in childbirth, founded Rights4Girls to combat child trafficking and worked to embed human rights into global tech platforms. Together, they explore the intersections of displacement, vulnerability and inno...
Musician Thao Nguyen joins Suzanne this week on Not Really Strangers for a heartfelt conversation about family, heritage and the power of art to process identity and loss. Thao shares her parents’ remarkable journey as Vietnamese refugees, the emotional experience of returning to Vietnam with her mother decades later, and how her albums A Man Alive and Temple became tools for self-discovery and liberation. They explore what it means to call multiple places “home,” the role of language as a pe...
What if the key to a thriving workforce and stronger communities lies in removing barriers that keep refugees from contributing to the full extent of their abilities and gifts? In this episode, Suzanne speaks with Jina Krause-Vilmar about what economic inclusion really means for immigrants and refugees. Jina shares her personal story as the daughter of Indian immigrants raised by a fiercely determined single mother, some of the lessons she learned throughout her childhood, and what happens wh...
In this episode of Not Really Strangers, Suzanne sits down with Colin Browne—newly appointed board member at USA for UNHCR. His experience as a former global supply chain leader, and someone who’s lived in nine countries, offers a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on displacement. From a powerful refugee simulation in Hong Kong to the role businesses can play in humanitarian crises, Colin shares what connects us, why the private sector matters, and why he believes we’re not really strangers....
In this episode, host Suzanne Ehlers speaks with Dr. Thoại Ngô, an internationally recognized scientist and the Chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University. Thoại’s work lies at the intersection of global public health, gender equality and sustainable development, and he has dedicated his career to improving health and social outcomes for young people and marginalized communities around the world. From founding the GIRL Center at the Population Cou...
I’m deeply honored to have restaurateur and writer Lien Ta on the show today. I found her Instagram during the pandemic and I’m grateful to say that she’s now a friend. In our conversation, Lien shares what it means to her to belong and how we build spaces that help others feel they belong too. We talk about her parents' harrowing journey as Vietnamese refugees and how this has impacted their family through generations. Lien shares how connection emerged as her most essential value, one that ...
In this episode, I talk with actor, musician, and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Kat Graham about her deep personal connection to refugees. Kat shares both sides of her family’s stories of displacement from Liberia to the Holocaust, the moments that have stayed with her from visiting camps around the world, and why she believes small acts of giving can create lasting change. We also discuss the power of education, art, and shared humanity and why refugees are never really strangers. Topics discuss...
Discover just how connected the refugee experience is to our everyday lives, and to the social issues that matter to us most. Join host Suzanne Ehlers, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, as she and her eclectic guests share personal stories and frontline insights. We’re more connected than we may think. The podcast will be launching this fall, subscribe now to never miss an update! Resources: Podcast show notes Donate now Follow USA for UNHCR on Instagram Co...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States